[soppy]

Hey,
I recently asked for some suggestions on this (a few months ago) and was just wondering if anything had changed since I will be looking for this specifically during sales, etc. I am looking for a near pro-grade tripod and head combo for under $300-$400. Right now I have these two as suggested by members of this forum:


Manfrotto 498RC2 Midi Ball Head with 200PL-14 QR Plate 498RC2


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003G2YZNW/


Is this the best combo I can get for that amount of money?

Things my tripod must have:
Quick Release Plates
Ball Head
Ability to Pan
Macro (Read weird angles/close to the ground) capability
Sturdy, Sturdy, Sturdy
High Build Quality

Thanks for the help guys!

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Last edited by soppy; 11-15-2010 at 12:21 AM.

[GaryH]

Just so happens, I sold my Manfrotto heads and bought the Modified Manfrotto 234 for my monopod and a Photoclam PC-44ns which delivered today. The Photoclam is a great ball head that I think you would like. I got the head with a camera plate for $300. You might not need as large of a head and could save some bucks by buying a smaller head. I use Dynatran AT-103 carbon legs by Amvona and have been very happy with them. I bought the legs when Amvona was doing Ebay Auctions. There are other Chinese Gitzo clone tripods. You might look at the Flashpoint tripods at Adorama. Their F-1127 Carbon tripod supports 18+ lbs and is on sale for $129. They also have others on sale. That and a decent Photoclam head would make for a very decent inexpensive (relatively speaking) support system.

[wlachan]

For $400 budget, I would spend $180 for the PhotoClam PC-40 and $40 for a generic anti-twist camera plate on eBay. The rest will be spent on the best used Gitzo series 1 or 2 aluminum tripod I can find. IMHO, QR w/o anti-twist is a waste of money because the camera will sag as soon as being turned vertically.

[soppy]

IMHO, QR w/o anti-twist is a waste of money because the camera will sag as soon as being turned vertically.

What do you mean by this? I am not familiar with twisting QR plates... Can you also explain what you mean by it will sag? How?

I should mention I will be walking around with this so weight is a small concern, part of the reason for going with Carbon Fiber (that and it apparently deadens vibration better than aluminum which is a big selling point for me).

I wasn't aware that you could buy plates separately from the legs... Any more info on good plates then?

Also, $400 is my absolute limit. I have lenses I want to buy as well so that's the cutoff.

Will this strap work with these tripods/plates by the way? I am very interested in getting it as it seems like the best theft proof strap I can find (comfort, convenience wise). Open to suggestions on that as well.

California-Sunbounce Sun-Sniper Strap Pro N-SSN-PRO B&H Photo

[stevebrot]

For $400 you can probably do pretty well though the old weight vs. stability issue will be a big factor. FWIW, carbon fiber is not the absolute answer. Yes, it is light, but have you noticed that the capacity ratings for most CF legs are less than for similar metal models from the same manufacturer?

I came in at about $300 for my setup. You can read the full story in the first several posts of the Tripod Reviews thread:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/45466-tripod-reviews.html

and the ball head review here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/45654-bal...301-656-a.html

Here is a photo of the combo in action:



After two years, I am still very happy with my purchase and have found the legs and head quite adequate for most of my purposes. It has supported everything from my rangefinder 35mm film cameras to my 4x5 view camera with no issues related to stability. It is also relatively light and compact given its capacity. That being said, I found that for much of the shooting I do with lighter kit, it is overkill.

As a result, I recently bought a second set-up that only weighs about 2.5 pounds and is very adequate for my 35mm film cameras and can also be used for the K10D with lighter lenses (i.e. everything except the large zooms that I don't use and can't afford). The magical tripod is the Slik 330 DX with a Manfrotto 494 mini ball head substituting for the tilt/pan head that came with the legs. Total price including the B-M 494 was about $150. In my opinion, it is a killer combination for travel and hiking.

I will be posting a full review on this forum in a few weeks.

Steve

[wlachan]

Most QR plate is just a flat piece of metal with rubber or cork as friction pad. This works fine when the camera is set horizontally. But when set in portrait orientation with long lens, the weight of the lens will force the camera downward because the friction pad alone is not enough to hold the camera in place. Really Right Stuff was the first to release anti-twist plate which has raised ridge at the rear so that the camera will be hold in place even with heavy lens. However, those plates are for Arca Swiss style clamp only so you will need a ballhead with such clamp. There are many anti-twist plates on the market by different manufacturers now and some can be had for as little as $30.

I have no experience with the strap you mentioned. Without looking at the actual product, the only concern I have is that the 1/4" tripod screw is not particular secure on its own. The camera/lens will drop hard if the screw came loose while hiking.

[stevebrot]

What do you mean by this? I am not familiar with twisting QR plates... Can you also explain what you mean by it will sag? How?

Most QR plates rely on friction to keep the camera from changing position when shooting in the vertical orientation. Some plates have a ledge built onto one edge to prevent the downward "creep". Plates with that feature are usually custom to the camera body and can be pretty expensive. The Arca-Swiss style plate on my Giottos has two plastic pop-up tabs that provide the same function and work well with a variety of bodies.

That being said, there is another behavior that is also called "sag" that is closer to the traditional meaning of the term. What I am talking about is the failure of the tripod and/or head to hold the set camera position once the head is tightened and you cease to support the camera. You have everything set in the viewfinder and as soon as you remove your hands, the camera droops! Sometimes this is caused by poor tolerances in the ball head. Other times there is an actual upward/downward flexing of the tripod legs in reaction to a poorly balanced load. Most tripod systems will exhibit some sag with a heavy, off-center load. The answer is to balance the load by mounting directly to large lenses and/or using an L-bracket for vertical shots ($$$).


Steve

[stevebrot]

I wasn't aware that you could buy plates separately from the legs... Any more info on good plates then?

Here are the components:

• Legs (duh!)
• Head
• QR clamp
• QR plate

The legs have a platform on the end of the center column. The head screws onto the platform. The clamp attaches to the head and the plate fits into the clamp. The clamp attaches with a screw to the camera/lens body.

On cheaper heads, the QR clamp is built into the head and is not removable. Nicer heads allow you to change out the clamp to support your choice of QR systems. For many brands the QR system is proprietary, so choose wisely since you may wish to buy a plate for each of your cameras and larger lenses. Of the various QR systems, the closest thing to a standard plate is the Arca-Swiss type common to many different product lines. It is a little more fussy than some, but very light and secure.


Steve

[Wheatfield]

Look at Feisol.

[soppy]

Yeah my current setup sags a lot ($30 Targus from Target).

Alright so I am looking for something that is Arca-Swiss, or something with a edge on the plate? I thought Arca-Swiss referred to the screw size for some reason...

The biggest thing that will be mounted on this is the K5 with grip and a Sigma 70-200 1:2.8. I don't do bird watching etc.

Does anyone know where to buy replacement plates and clamp for the head I listed? It seems to be getting decent reviews from other people as well as you guys, so unless anyone has better suggestions...

Now the legs, I'm not really tied to carbon fiber, and I am more for mobility than stability (can always put a rock bag on the bottom when I get somewhere and throw my bag in it, but not having the tripod because I don't want to carry it is kinda a bigger problem than loss of stability). I would like it to have a macro boom and 4 leg sections though.

Thanks for the help so far guys!

[stevebrot]

Does anyone know where to buy replacement plates and clamp for the head I listed? It seems to be getting decent reviews from other people as well as you guys, so unless anyone has better suggestions...

B&H and Adorama both sell clamps and plates as do most of their competitors.


Steve

[soppy]

Yes but which ones in particular would any of you recommend?

[Wheatfield]

The Feisol QR plates are ArcaSwiss type and seem very sticky. I have no problems with camera sag, even with my A*600, which is very poorly balanced because of the location of the tripod socket.

[soppy]

Alright I'll look at Feisol.

Is the head I listed compatible with third party plates and clamps?

[stevebrot]

Alright I'll look at Feisol.

Is the head I listed compatible with third party plates and clamps?

I don't have the Manfrotto in front of me, but traditionally, the folk at Bogen do not support direct replacement of the QR clamp. The clamp is a molded part of the head. What this means is that doing a clamp upgrade requires fitting the clamp onto the Manfrotto QR plate or use of a clamp designed with a base shaped like the Manfrotto QR plate. Kirk makes clamps of such a design, but they are pricey (LINK).


Steve